第１９４５堀：最前線の町と砦 (Part2)
"Hmm. Well, that makes sense. Even if it’s on the precipice of a dangerous front line, if there are people living there, it’s hardly strange to find a business opportunity. It’s certain to be a boon for the soldiers and adventurers alike."
"Plus, since it’s under direct state control, that provides a sense of security in its own right."
As Tori says, the fact that it is governed directly by the state rather than a local lord is, for the citizens, a significant source of peace of mind.
Just as I am thinking this, a voice suddenly emanates from Yuki’s monitor.
"Yoo-hoo! You called for me, Yuki-san, so I’m here. What’s up?"
"Oh, you’re here, Riel. Come on over."
"What’s wrong? I was on patrol in town and happened to be nearby, so... wait, Tori and everyone else? Or is this the military contingent?"
"Yeah. Viria and the others have just arrived at the front-line town of Ioa, and they’re looking over the maps. For security reasons, I figured you’d want to see this, Riel. I wanted your input on the situation."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
I see. So that was it.
Riel currently remains in Weed, working alongside Chief Poni to maintain order within the town.
Although, ever since she and Tori—who is standing right there—handed over the roles of Chief and Vice Chief, she has mostly shifted to rear-guard support. Even so, she remains an indispensable figure for us, as she is the one who keeps us informed on the current state of Weed’s security.
In that sense, she is exceptionally skilled at looking at maps of towns and fortresses to identify vulnerabilities.
It comes with the territory of hunting down criminals.
"Then, I shall continue with the explanation. From this front-line town, known as the town of Ando in Ioa, if you travel five kilometers in a straight line..."
As Orelia explains, the map zooms out.
The town shrinks, and in the far north, a fortress-like structure and a long defensive wall appear...
"That’s a peculiar defensive wall."
The moment the full picture is revealed, Jessica lets those words slip.
I found it just as strange myself.
After all...
"Huh, the wall only goes halfway."
Just as Riel points out, the wall does not encircle the fortress; rather, it is positioned in a semicircle in front of it, facing only the direction from which the monsters would emerge.
"Since this is video, it’s a bit hard to see. I’ll display the contour lines."
As Hovis says this, a map marked with contour lines appears next to the drone’s photographic map.
It reveals that mountains, standing at least three hundred meters tall, flank both sides of the wall.
In other words, the terrain is...
"This fortress is built between two valleys. Since it would be a struggle to climb from the other side, this is the only path the monsters can take to approach."
I see. It is a fortress that utilizes the lay of the land.
"Even so, the wall is two kilometers long on each side. The labor required for that must have been immense."
"Two kilometers... Given that it’s a remote region and considering the constant threat of monster raids, one could say it’s quite an achievement."
Stasia is right.
A total of four kilometers of defensive walls—while larger walls exist in major cities or the royal capital, those are built under conditions of absolute safety.
Considering that this was constructed while constantly preparing for monster raids, or perhaps even while fighting, it is truly impressive.
"It appears to have a fair amount of thickness and depth as well."
"Yes. The furthest points are built with extra thickness. There would be no point if that section were breached. Soldiers and adventurers are constantly deploying from the fortress to the wall, monitoring each sector and intercepting any threats."
"And if the fortress is breached, they’ve left enough distance to prevent an immediate collapse, with moats and secondary walls scattered throughout to slow them down."
The photographic footage indeed shows walls and moats along the path leading to the town.
They haven’t forgotten the necessity of stalling the monsters' advance.
"Now, I’ll take over the explanation from here."
With the general overview concluded, it seems we are moving into the heart of the meeting.
At last, the terrain of one of the northern front lines is being laid bare.
This is the place where the war against the monsters is being waged.
There are many fronts, but there is no doubt that this location in the north is a vital one.